IAF Marshal Arjan Singh critically ill; Modi prays for his speedy recovery
New Delhi: Arjan Singh, Marshal of the Indian Air Force, known for his role in the 1965 Indo-Pak war, has been hospitalised and is in a critical condition.
Singh, 98, the only officer of the IAF to be promoted to five-star rank, was admitted to the Army Hospital Research and Referral on Saturday morning.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a visit to Singh at the hospital.
“Went to R&R Hospital to see Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh, who is critically ill. I also met his family members,” Modi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the family members of the Marshal of the Indian Air Force. (Photo: PIB India)
“We are all praying for the speedy recovery of Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh. Doctors are doing their best,” he added.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and IAF chief BS Dhanoa visited the hospital.
“Received messages that Marshal of IAF Arjan Singh was suspected to have had massive heart attack in the morning and was brought to hospital.”
"We hope he (Marshal of IAF Arjan Singh) will recover at the earliest. His condition remains critical,” Sitharaman said.
"His condition is critical," official sources said. Singh was admitted to the hospital after he complained of uneasiness.
An icon of the Indian military history, Singh had led a young IAF into the war in 1965 when he was hardly 44 years of age.
In file photo, Barack Obama greets Arjan Singh, Marshal of the Indian Air Force, at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi in January 2015. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
In 1965, when Pakistan had launched its Operation Grand Slam with an armoured thrust targeted at the vital town of Akhnoor, Singh led the Indian Air Force through the war with courage, determination and professional skill.
He inspired the IAF to victory, despite the constraints imposed on a full-scale use of air force combat power.
